Mayfield ready for game of the day
THATTO HEATH ..................... 22 MAYFIELD ............................... 28
MAYFIELD made the trip to St Helens with a strong side and high hopes. Within ten minutes those hopes had been realised as Mayfield coasted to a 0-12 lead after tries from Sean Slater and Devlin Long, both converted by Jordan Parr.
Mayfield looked strong and the travelling supporters thought this was going to be a walk in the park.
Thatto had other ideas though as they rallied strongly, showing the kind of class they have in previous encounters.
With ten minutes to go until half time they had scored three tries, converting two of them to take the lead 16-12, game on.
This was now a proper Premier division clash with both teams showing some great skills and both showing they wanted to win this one.
The next score was all important and it went Mayfield’s way as Zac Baker finished a flowing move to level the scores, Parr’s conversion reclaimingthe lead for his side just before the half time whistle, 16-18.
Thatto edged ahead ten minutes into the second half and it took Mayfield twenty more minutes before they could get over the line again. It was Dakota Tolhurst who obliged with a cracking effort, converted by Parr, to make it 22-24, and Mayfield were back in front.
Discipline was a prime concern for Butterworth’s side as they had two players sin binned, that’s twenty minutes with a man down, in the toughest team sport known to man.
These lads need to acknowledge this and cut it out of their game, if they had done that on Saturday they would have blown their hosts away.
As it was , with ten minutes to go Lewis Butterworth rounded off another top drawer performance with a try out wide to complete the scoring and leave Thatto firmly rooted in the bottom three, 22-28.
As so often is the case these days, Mayfield feature in the game of the day as they play hosts to West Hull in the NCL premier division this afternoon.
West Hull are second and Mayfield third, so today’s game has a lot riding on it.
Wests have lost two while Mayfield have lost one but drawn two, leaving them level on points as we approach the half way stage of the season.
Sam Butterworth and Steve Wood have seen their side suffer from injuries all through the season but the squad is coming together now and playing some great rugby league.
Sean Slater, Cole Connolly, Lewis Butterworth and Dakota Tolhurst are all hitting form while the half back pairing of Sam Wright and Devlin Long is the heart of the team, running the show every week.
The backs are reaping the rewards from the in form forwards who have dominated their opposite numbers in most of the games they have played. Zac Baker, Joe Taira, Dave Mills and Ben Metcalfe are putting it in every game and the team is looking well balanced.
Throw in the fact that the excellent Travis Long is back in action after his injury lay off and it’s all systems go.
Today’s game has all the ingredients for a classic, two great teams in top form and a long rivalry.
What more could you want in a game of rugby? NCL match sponsors are Casey Plant Services and Ace electrical.
THE NWML side are also doing well this season, they have had ups and downs but generally they are the in form team at the moment. Like the
senior team they are blend of youth and experience with each balancing the other out.
Another great performance last week saw them dispatch Wigan St Judes with an impressive 44-14 scoreline, courtesy of a MOM performance from Jack Mcconachie, which saw them through to the semi final of the NWML Trophy.
Performances like this have carried the team to the top of the NWML D2 and although there is no game for them this week Andy Reed and Craig White are looking to maintain
this form when they play next week.
TO complete a hat-trick of wins for the open age teams the Mayfield Ladies made the trip to Wigan to face Ashton Bears on Sunday.
An emphatic victory saw them return to Rochdale with two points in the bag and smiles on the faces of the coaching staff and players alike.
Coaches Wiggy Watmough
and Dean Howarth were made up with the victory and the all round performance from the team.
Wiggy commented: “We were simply awesome today, to go to Wigan and come back with a clean sheet is testament to what this team is capable of. We were a few players down due to injury but those who turned out put in a cracking shift. I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”
FIXTURES, 11/05/24
NCL Prem Mayfield v West Hull ko 2.30
Leyland Warriors v Rochdale Masters ko 1.00 12/05/24
Mayfield Ladies v Swinton Lionesses ko 2.00